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Infection and Immunity, December 2008, p. 5543-5552, Vol. 76, No. 12
0019-9567/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00683-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Is Enhanced by Vector Saliva through Immunosuppressant Mechanisms Mediated by Lysophosphatidylcholine{triangledown}

Rafael D. Mesquita ,1,{dagger},§ Alan Brito Carneiro,1,{dagger} André Bafica,2 Felipe Gazos-Lopes,1 Christina M. Takiya,3 Thaís Souto-Padron,4 Danielle P. Vieira,4 Antônio Ferreira-Pereira,4 Igor C. Almeida,5 Rodrigo T. Figueiredo,4 Bárbara N. Porto,4 Marcelo T. Bozza,4 Aurélio V. Graça-Souza,1 Angela H. C. S. Lopes,4 Geórgia C. Atella,1 and Mário A. C. Silva-Neto1*

Instituto de Bioquímica Médica,1 Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia,3 Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21940-590 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,4 Divisão de Imunologia, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, 88040-900 Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil,2 Department of Biological Sciences, The Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 799685

Received 30 May 2008/ Returned for modification 12 July 2008/ Accepted 4 September 2008

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is transmitted by bug feces deposited on human skin during a blood meal. However, parasite infection occurs through the wound produced by insect mouthparts. Saliva of the Triatominae bug Rhodnius prolixus is a source of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). Here, we tested the role of both triatomine saliva and LPC on parasite transmission. We show that vector saliva is a powerful inducer of cell chemotaxis. A massive number of inflammatory cells were found at the sites where LPC or saliva was inoculated into the skin of mice. LPC is a known chemoattractant for monocytes, but neutrophil recruitment induced by saliva is LPC independent. The preincubation of peritoneal macrophages with saliva or LPC increased fivefold the association of T. cruzi with these cells. Moreover, saliva and LPC block nitric oxide production by T. cruzi-exposed macrophages. The injection of saliva or LPC into mouse skin in the presence of the parasite induces an up-to-sixfold increase in blood parasitemia. Together, our data suggest that saliva of the Triatominae enhances T. cruzi transmission and that some of its biological effects are attributed to LPC. This is a demonstration that a vector-derived lysophospholipid may act as an enhancing factor of Chagas disease.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, 21940-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Phone: 5521-2562-6786. Fax: 5521-2270-8647. E-mail: maneto{at}bioqmed.ufrj.br

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 15 September 2008.

Editor: W. A. Petri, Jr.

{dagger} R.D.M. and A.B.C. contributed equally to this study.

§ Permanent address: CEFET-Química, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Infection and Immunity, December 2008, p. 5543-5552, Vol. 76, No. 12
0019-9567/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.00683-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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